Supporters of a measure to eliminate property taxes in the state filed an injunction Wednesday against several state and local officials who they believe are intentionally engaging in lies and fear mongering over the measure. Continue Reading

Sounds like they’re clutching at straws because they don’t want anyone who actually knows something to speak against them. I don’t know the particulars, but I really doubt the act is akin to a gag order like they seem to think it is…..

There is a reason no other State has gotten rid of property taxes, but this out of State group comes in and wants to stir the pot and see what us hicks will do. Where will the money come for the Cities to provide services? While waiting for some group to decide what City needs what and having to deal with the UND logo issue, I’m sure this will be absolutely destructive to EVERY City and Communtiy in ND. Doesn’t anybody think that the money will be made up in specials and other fees? Again, if it sounds to good to be true, it usually is. If this is such a great idea, why is no other State doing it? It’s because if this experiment goes bad, it’s ONLY North Dakota, the laughing stock of the Nation! The supporters whine about fear mongering… well their promise of gold at the end of the rainbow is something they can’t deliver. Where does every City and County get it’s money from? Who doles it out? How do they go through every budget? How do they know what Hankinson needs and what they don’t? How do they know what Richland County needs? The simple phrase eliminate property taxes raises to many other questions, with to much at stake. I have an idea for this organization, why don’t you go start in NY, California, Texas, and Florida. Then get back to us. Yea, I know… you don’t have the guts to try that. Come to the land of “Ya you betcha” and see what your little experiment dredges up.

It’s true that there is a reason that no other state has gotten rid of property taxes. It seems that everyone is afraid to go first. (No guts no glory machomansavage). I’m not sure where the “out of state” rumor got started, but Measure 2 is the result of a sponsoring committee of qualified electors from Casselton, Berthold, Fargo, West Fargo, Minot, Wahpeton, Valley City, and Williston. The man who essentially wrote the measure has lived and worked in Minot for about twenty years. The proponents, and authors of Measure 2 are all from North Dakota and the idea started in North Dakota. The real question is, why should we even consider eliminating property taxes?

The fact is that once home owners hit their retirement years, and the house is paid off, and the kids are gone, they better hope they have a tub full of money to live on, and not the average retirement salary. Why? Because once they can’t pay their property taxes, (rent), to the county anymore, they have only two choices: 1. Sell their home and move to an apartment, (whether they want to or not), or 2. Let the county take the house, sell it, and then keep all the money. (Yes that’s actually how it works. Whatever equity you had in your house goes to the county after the sale, not to you.) Obviously, some people couldn’t care less about the widow, the elderly, or homeowners who find themselves suddenly unable to pay their living expenses, plus rising property taxes. I do care about them, and after having the privilege of meeting all the key people behind Measure 2, (all North Dakotans), I can assure you that the number one reason they have invested tens of thousands of dollars of their own money, and five years of their lives, studying, analyzing, researching, and finally drafting Measure 2, is to protect those who face the prospect of losing the homes they have already paid for, simply because they can’t pay their property taxes anymore. Ignore the facts if you like, but to the elderly and retired, it happens hundreds of times each year in our state alone. Is this way we want to treat our parents and grandparents?

Measure 2 specifies exactly where the funding comes from for all the political subdivisions, big and small, and is ultimately a win-win proposal for everyone in North Dakota. But don’t believe me, go to their website,(empowerthetaxpayer.com), and read the actual measure for yourself. While you’re there, click on the Beacon Hill Institute feasibility study on eliminating property taxes. This is arguably the most deeply studied, most thoughtfully researched, carefully written piece of legislation in the history of this state. I urge you to stop listening to the doom-and-gloomers, and try to revive the North Dakota pioneering spirit. Let’s make North Dakota the first state in the nation to eliminate this regressive, and harmful tax, and let the other states look to us and say, “me too!” (Incidentally several other states, including Florida and Texas, are watching us to see how it works. Obviously the first state to do it, gets the opportunity to cherry-pick from all the out of state businesses, who want to move to a state with a “permanent” property tax abatement.) The ultimate question is, “Does the government exist to protect our property, or to use it as a method of tax extraction under threat of confiscation”? If you think it’s the former, you will want to vote yes on Measure 2.

Your firstr point is valid…I read a year ago or so were that very thing was happening out east to people who lived in their homes for years and then once retired and the general home values were assed as so much higher they ended up with tax bills that often they couldn’t offord. I know there’s been measures to address that in particular…..But I’m concerned about just opening up everything to tax free property that can be bought us for out of state and out of country.

There is something to be said over one of the arguments that I have heard, which is you never truly own the property if the tax man can take it away for failure to pay the taxes. How can someone take away the property and put it up for sale if you’ve paid off the bank but not the tax man if you own it?

While I’ve always known this to be the case, it never really registered, and it definitely has made me go hmmmm….